BeyondTheStory Ltd - taking narrative to a higher plain of engagement

New Zealanders are well known for their history of innovation, and this reputation has been bolstered by the advent of the internet, social media and digital solutions in the land of the long white cloud. One New Zealand company quickly becoming an industry leader is BeyondTheStory Ltd - a design company that specialises in developing bespoke entertainment and educational apps for digital devices such as the iPad and iPhone.Founded by Jane Pollitt and Jen Porter, BeyondTheStory Ltd uses proprietary AI and advanced authoring tools to transform text and images into a fully immersive digital environment. BeyondTheStory was the first company in the world to do this, positioning itself as a world leader in digital publishing. The company is able to offer such high levels of engagement by using a combination of images, active links, audio, visual, 3D content, live broadcasting and real-time updates within the apps. This attention to detail results in a user experience of active engagement, along with turning bland literary works into fully immersive digital experiences.Applications developed so far include:

• The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, which brings to life one of the most beloved and important books of the Twentieth Century. The app allows users to peek into Anne Frank's world during World War II.
• Kings and Queens, based on Dr David Starkey’s 2008 book Crown and Country chronicling 2000 years of the British monarchy.
• The Saturday Big Tent Wedding, a companion app for the 12^th book in Alexander McCall Smith’s The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series.
• Thorne, the first iPhone app built around stills and clips from the Sky TV series.
• Ian M. Banks app, which provides insight into the creative process of the late, great author while he was writing the volumes ‘Surface Detail’ and ‘Transition’ in sci-fi masterpiece ‘The Culture’.

BeyondTheStory’s latest app is a tie-in promotional app for the Hollywood blockbuster After Earth starring Will and Jaden Smith and directed by M. Night Shymalan. ‘After Earth: Kitai’s Journal’ delves  into the character of Kitai Raige, played by Jaden Smith, giving the audience a deeper understanding of Kitai's  heroic journey to self discovery.The exclusive content includes:

• The full text of Kitai’s Journal - the official junior novelisation by Christine Peymani from the film After Earth.
• Expanded content offering a glimpse into Kitai’s sedated, quiet life on his home world of Nova Prime, and the wonder and terror that is thrown at him after his spaceship crash lands on Earth.
• Exclusive character biographies on the Raige family, chronicling their history and motivations.
• 3D interactive models of the spaceships and creatures that populate this sci-fi spectacle.
• 360-degree panoramic views of the landscapes on Nova Prime and the savage environment that awaits them on Earth.

After Earth: Kitai’s Journal is a compelling and beautiful app to use. It is very simple to navigate and quickly sucks you into the story. In designing the app, founder and CEO of BeyondTheStory Ltd Jen Porter said “After Earth is a father and son adventure. We jumped at the chance to translate Kitai’s Journal using our interactive digital platform and taking the printed word to new levels never experienced by readers before. With the touch of a finger or the swoop of an iPad, fans will be able to go beyond the words of the journel and choose how they immerse themselves in Kitai’s adventure.”BeyondTheStory Ltd is a Kiwi company that is leaping ahead as an innovator in the digital space with their originality and creativity in the world of apps. Their continued success will allow them greater freedom and diversity in their products and users eagerly anticipate what they will come up with next.